The year 2024 has been remarkable for archaeology, with groundbreaking discoveries that continue to reshape our understanding of ancient civilizations. Newer technologies that have paved the way for some of these finds include remote-sensing techniques like LiDAR, AI, and the study of ancient DNA.
Here are some of the highlights:
- In Peru, artificial intelligence has helped identify 303 new Nazca lines, adding to the known collection of geometric earthworks in southern Peru. These lines, created by pre-Columbian people, have intrigued researchers for decades.
- In Indonesia, the world's oldest known cave art was discovered on the island of Sulawesi. This 51,200-year-old painting depicts a scene of people hunting pig-like animals, surpassing previous records for the oldest cave art.
- In China, archaeologists uncovered 3,500-year-old cheese around mummies' necks in northwestern China, revealing insights into ancient dietary practices.
- Corpses discovered side by side at Pompeii (pictured above), where the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79AD encased the population in ash, were thought to be a mother and child and two sisters. But new DNA testing showed these people were all unrelated.
- A prehistoric calendar at Göbekli Tepe in Turkey was identified, and researchers concluded that the carvings were made to record comet fragments that hit our planet around 13,000 years ago.
- On the island of Crete, an unusual building was discovered during an excavation-- a unique complex that resembles a labyrinth, featuring eight stacked stone rings.
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